Spring Festivals Activity Worksheets

Activity 1: Match the following nouns to the definitions below

parade / feast / firework / occasion / origin / tradition / temple / ritual

Definitions:

A. the place, time, or situation in which something began to exist = _____________

B. a building where people in some religions go to pray = _____________
C. a ceremony or set of actions that is always done in the same way = _____________
D. a large meal for a lot of people to celebrate a special occasion = _____________
E. a custom, belief, or way of doing something that has existed for a long time =
_____________
F. a public celebration when musical bands, people and decorated vehicles move down the
street = _____________
G. an object that burns or explodes to produce colored lights and noise in the sky =
_____________
H. an important event = _____________

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Activity 2: In pairs scan the texts (A–D) about the different spring festivals
and match them to the names below. Then complete the gaps (1–8) with the
vocabulary from Activity 1.

Note:​ ​you may need to use singular and plural nouns​.

Las Fallas / Nowruz / Songkran / Holi festival

Spring festivals
A. __________________
This three-day festival is celebrated all over Thailand to mark the start of the traditional Thai
New Year on 13th April. It is known by visitors as ​the water festival ​because people throw water
at each other. Other ​(1) ​____________ include visiting local ​(2) ​____________ and offering
food to monks. If you want to visit this festival be prepared to get wet!

B. __________________
This five-day festival is celebrated in Valencia, Spain. In the year leading up to the event,
groups of local people build huge life-like models, which are displayed during the various ​(3)
____________ and are then burned on the final night of the celebrations. During the week there
are also many ​(4)​ ____________ displays, so only come to this festival if you like loud noises.

C.​ ​__________________
This Hindu festival of spring is celebrated in India. The special ​(5) ____________ starts with
people gathering in front of a bonfire and performing religious ​(6) ____________. The next day
the ​festival of colors begins, where people throw colored powder and water at each other. The
festivities end with people visiting their friends and families and enjoying delicious food and
drinks.

D​. ​__________________
Known by many as the ​Persian New Year, ​this two-week festival is celebrated throughout
central Asia to mark the beginning of spring. The ​(7) ____________ of this ancient festival can
be traced back to Zoroastrianism, a religion founded in Iran about 3,500 years ago. In the final
days of the event, a ​(8) ____________ is prepared with seven items which are symbolic of the
time of the year.
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Activity 3: Write an email to your friend

Imagine you are visiting one of the festivals from Activity 2. Write an email to your friend telling
them about your experience. In your email you should:

● Tell your friend where you are

● Describe the festival
● Ask your friend if they’d like to visit next year

Answers should be 45–65 words. Try to use some of the words you learned in Activity 1.

_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
__________

Extension activity: Discussion questions

Discuss the following questions with your partner. Try to use the vocabulary from the previous
activities.

1. Which of the festivals from Activity 2 do you know?

2. Which ones would you like to visit? Why?
3. Do you know any other Spring festivals around the world?
4. How do you celebrate the start of Spring in your country?
5. What other festivals do you usually celebrate?

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